United’s New Flight To Croatia Lands In A 1,700-Year-Old City That Is Moving Beyond Its Party Image

On April 30, 2026, United Airlines will launch the only nonstop service between the United States and Split, Croatia, in addition to its already-operating direct route between New York and Dubrovnik.

However, visitors planning to fly to Split this summer may find a different city, one that has moved past its party reputation.

“In previous years, Split may have leaned into a ‘party destination’ image. However, Croatian tourism is now actively focusing instead on our rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and family-friendly environment,” explained Darijo Šarić, CEO of VIP Holiday Booker, a Croatian travel agency, in an email interview.

I have been traveling to Croatia for over 20 years and have visited Split multiple times. I have always found its deeper Adriatic identity, shaped by Roman history, food markets, island life, and its peaceful hinterland more intriguing than any late-night party.

I interviewed nine travel experts who share the same view to showcase Split’s ‘true identity.’

Split Is Trying To Move Beyond Party Tourism

Split has spent the last few years tightening rules in its historic center to shift away from its party image and protect daily life inside and around the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Diocletian’s Palace.

Following Dubrovnik, Split also introduced rules against misbehavior in 2023, starting with fines of €150 for walking in swimwear or going shirtless, and €66 for walking a dog without a leash in its historic center.

In addition, those rules included fines of €300 for drinking alcohol, urinating, or vomiting in public. Climbing on monuments and sculptures, or entering fountains, carries the same fine.

Šarić from the Croatian travel agency VIP Holiday Booker also noted in an email interview that last year the authorities collected around €240,000 ($280,000) from fines, specifically for public drinking and related disturbances.

“Other penalties, such as those for being shirtless or wearing swimwear in the town centre, are far less common and are largely symbolic,” he added.

Now, a new set of measures is proposed for this summer to reduce street drinking and push nightlife into licensed venues that are easier to monitor, as reported by Net.hr.

In Split, History And Food Come As One Package

In Split, the city’s history and food culture are inseparable. A walk through the old town can mean wandering among Roman walls, market stalls packed with fresh vegetables and fruits and family-run eateries in the span of a few minutes.

Marina Rogoznica, Croatia product manager at Unforgettable Croatia, a specialist travel company with a team based in Split since 2016, recommends going on a walking tour led by a local gourmet guide.

During a tour, they organize, visitors explore the 1,700-year-old Diocletian’s Palace while stopping at some of Split’s most memorable food spots.

What begins at the Green Market, where travelers get a closer look at the ingredients and daily food culture that shape local cooking, and finishes at a traditional ‘konoba’ known for its Dalmatian specialties such as fresh seafood and handmade pasta.

In between, guests will stop at a small shop for ‘soparnik,’ the region’s well-known savory pie and at Split’s oldest pastry shop for gelato and traditional sweets.

Art Lovers Should Also Make Time For Split

Beyond the old town, Split has a quiet artistic side, where the Meštrović Gallery is the most rewarding stop for art lovers.

The gallery lies between the turquoise Adriatic and the pine-filled slopes of the Marjan Peninsula, bringing together art and architecture in one of Split’s most attractive residential areas.

Cindy Nelson, travel advisor at Andrew Harper, a luxury travel agency, recommends visiting the gallery in a grand neoclassical villa that Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović built in the 1920s and 1930s as his home.

Today, the villa functions as a museum dedicated to his life’s work, while its cypress- and palm tree-lined grounds serve as a sculpture garden.

She recommends taking a taxi there and then walking back toward downtown. Along the return route, visitors can see the elegant homes and residences, reminding them that Split is not only about Roman history.

Follow The Sea And Explore The Coastal Islands

Trade, migration, wine and fishing shaped Split and Dalmatia long before tourists first appeared. For centuries, the coastline and the islands formed a single, connected maritime world.

Skender Hatibović, founder of Funky Tours, offering authentic small-group tours in the Balkans, recommends sailing to truly understand Dalmatia and its connection to the Mediterranean Sea.

This 7-day private sailing tour starts in Split and visits Vis, Šolta, Šćedro, Hvar and Brač to experience the Croatian island life at a slow pace.

Each island adds a different layer: Šolta, the agricultural calm, Vis, the historical depth, Hvar, the cultivated landscape andBrač, the stonemasonry tradition. But together they show a connected Adriatic culture shaped by labor, land and sea.

Dalmatia’s Hinterland Tells A Different Story

Leave the coast briefly and head into the Dalmatian hinterland, a mere 30 minutes outside Split, where food, agriculture and family traditions still shape daily life.

LaDell Carter, luxury travel designer at Royal Expression Travels, a boutique agency for luxury travelers, recommends a home-hosted culinary experience as one of the most meaningful ways to connect with this side of Dalmatia.

In a traditional family home, travelers can sit down to try recipes passed down for generations, from ‘peka,’ a slow-cooked dish prepared under an iron bell, to a fresh salad made with sun-ripened vegetables from the garden.

Bryan Lewis, founder and CEO of Tenon Tours, also recommends going inland to discover small stone villages and olive groves that feel far from Split’s cruise traffic.

A private olive oil tasting with a multi-generational producer can show visitors how soil, climate and tradition defined the region’s flavors.

While you are in the hinterlands, Carter from Royal Expression Travels, also recommends stopping at Klis Fortress, which sits on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

“The view of the islands and the mountains from atop the fortress is both cinematic and stunning. From this vantage point, you will be able to understand the geography and history of Split like never before,” she said in an email interview.

While Amanda Wells, director of product, Kensington Tours, a travel agency specializing in personalized, private-guided tours, recommends visiting a small family-run winery, Frano Milos in Ponikve.

“He makes some of the best organic wines in Croatia in a traditional way,” said Wells in an email interview.

The winery grows only Plavac Mali grapes, the most famous Croatian indigenous variety, related to Zinfandel. Guests will enjoy a tour around the vineyards, followed by a wine tasting of his best wines.

The Adventure Capital Of Croatia Within Easy Reach Of Split

For travelers who want to add outdoor adventure without committing to a fully remote itinerary, Omiš, about 30-40 minutes from Split, is what “many locals consider THE outdoor adventure spot in Croatia”, said Viktor Marohnic, Croatian-born founder and CEO of 57hours, a marketplace for outdoor travel that partners with local guides.

He recommends rafting on the Cetina River, canyoning, zip-lining, mountain biking and hiking to hilltop fortresses.

Ivo Jaric, one of the local guides 57hours works with, has more than five years of experience guiding cyclists in Croatia. All of the top bike tours he recommends are in the Split and Omiš region or on nearby islands such as Vis, Hvar and Brač.

Anita Shreider, chief marketing officer at BikesBooking.com, also recommends heading to the Cetina River Canyon near Omiš for amazing panoramic views. Scenic roads through a canyon welcome travelers here, which feel far less crowd than in Split’s old town.